August 09 2011

In March, Hungary introduced a new regulation that states seeds must be checked for GMO before they are introduced to the market. However, some GMO seeds made it to the farmers without their being aware of it.

As a result, almost 1,000 acres of maize found to have been grown with genetically modified seeds have been destroyed throughout Hungary. The deputy state secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Lajos Bognar said that the GMO maize has been ploughed under, and pollen has not spread from the maize.

Planetsave reports:

"Unlike several EU members, GMO seeds are banned in Hungary. The checks will continue despite the fact that seed traders are obliged to make sure that their products are GMO free, Bognar said."

The United States, meanwhile, is beginning to see the consequences of widely planted GMOs. In the mid-'90s, Monsanto introduced seeds genetically engineered to withstand its Roundup brand of herbicide. Today, these "Roundup Ready" crops are planted all across the U.S. -- 94 percent of soybeans and more than 70 percent of corn and cotton contain the Roundup-resistant gene.

But when the land is dosed with a single herbicide for years on end, the ecosystems adapt. Roundup-defying "superweeds" are getting out of control. And the problem is only accelerating, because the resistant weeds are driving out their non-resistant counterparts.

According to Mother Jones:

"These weeds adapt faster and more vigorously than their weed cousins, choking fields and clogging irrigation ditches so badly water can't pass through."

Why Rogue Planting of GM Seeds is a Very Big Deal

GM corn, soybeans, canola, and sugar beets have made their way into approximately 80 percent of current U.S. processed grocery store items, now that up to 90 percent of several U.S.-grown crops are grown with genetically engineered seed. So if you live in the United States, you have most certainly already been exposed to GM foods -- most likely a lot of them. So it may make you angry, or at least curious, to know that in Hungary, the government just destroyed crops that were grown with GM seeds and plowed the corn under so the pollen could not spread.

You see, GM seeds are banned in Hungary, as they are in several other European countries, such as Germany and Ireland. These countries have chosen NOT to allow their people to be used as guinea pigs in a massive experiment on the food supply, which is essentially what the introduction of GM crops is. Although Monsanto, the world leader in GM seeds, insists that GM foods are no different from conventionally grown varieties, the research in existence begs to differ. Here is just a sampling of the unsavory findings associated with GM foods:

GM peas caused lung damage in mice	Offspring of rats fed GM soy showed a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce
GM potatoes may cause cancer in rats	Male mice fed GM soy had damaged young sperm cells
Bacteria in your gut can take up DNA from GM food	The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed mice had altered DNA functioning
GM foods lead to significant organ disruptions in rats and mice, specifically the kidney, liver, heart and spleen	Several U.S. farmers reported sterility or fertility problems among pigs and cows fed on GM corn varieties
Bt corn caused a wide variety of immune responses in mice, commonly associated with diseases such as arthritis, Lou Gehrig's disease, osteoporosis, and inflammatory bowel disease	Investigators in India have documented fertility problems, abortions, premature births, and other serious health issues, including deaths, among buffaloes fed GM cottonseed products

GM Crops Have Already Overtaken U.S. Farmland

There are movements underway around the globe pressuring governments for a moratorium on untested GM seeds and foods, yet the United States is giving Monsanto free reign, aiding and abetting their agenda -- even though most Americans do not want GMOs.

But the U.S. government is plowing ahead, and allowing virtually all of Monsanto's GM crops and related chemicals to call the United States their home, despite minimal testing and widespread concern. Most recently, the USDA approved planting of GM alfalfa, the fourth-largest crop in the United States, without restriction, despite massive opposition and serious concerns that its potential to cross-pollinate and transfer genetic material is very high, if not guaranteed.

Because it's a natural forage for pastured (organically raised grass-fed) animals, contamination would be disastrous for organic dairy- and cattle farmers, as federal organic standards forbid them from using GM crops (not to mention Monsanto's history of suing both conventional and organic farmers for patent infringement should their crops be cross-contaminated). This could essentially make true "organic" food, which by definition should be GM-free, a virtual impossibility.

If you're wondering why the United States leads the world in GM crop acreage, it's because the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the FDA are heavily influenced by Monsanto, which spends millions of dollars lobbying the U.S. government for favorable legislation that supports the spread of their toxic products every year. In the first quarter of 2011 alone, Monsanto spent $1.4 million on lobbying the federal government – and this was a drop from a year earlier, when they spent $2.5 million during the same quarter.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the USDA, and the U.S. Trade Representative all have a special set of revolving doors leading straight to Monsanto, which has allowed this transnational giant to gain phenomenal authority and influence.

Monsanto's 'Superweeds' Gallop through the Midwest

One of the consequences of this cozy relationship is now surfacing as superweeds make their way across the Midwest. Massive acreage of soybeans, cotton, and corn grown in the United States contain the GM Roundup Ready gene -- and all of these crops receive numerous applications of Monsanto's Roundup each and every year.

But Roundup is proving to be no match for Mother Nature. It's estimated that more than 130 types of weeds spanning 40 U.S. states are now herbicide-resistant, and the superweeds are showing no signs of stopping.

As Mother Jones reported:

" … in what is surely the least surprising, most-anticipated major development in the history of US agriculture, farmers are discovering that when you spend years dousing land [with] a single herbicide, ecosystems adapt. Roundup Ready crops, meet Roundup-defying weeds.

 … the USDA openly acknowledges the superweed problem and even delivered a pretty good explainer on it in its environmental impact statement on Roundup Ready alfalfa. Yet it keeps deregulating or choosing not to regulate at all new Roundup Ready crops, all of them quite widely planted.

This year alone, the agency has green-lighted Roundup Ready versions of alfalfa (a major cow feed); sugar beets (source of half of US sugar), and most recently, Kentucky bluegrass (popular lawn turf). These dubious USDA decisions will likely bring millions more acres—including lawns, parks, and golf courses near you—under the Roundup Ready domain."

On a slightly brighter note, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finally looking into the damaging effects of glyphosate (the key ingredient in Roundup) on humans and the environment and plans to make a decision regarding its future by 2015. At that time, Roundup could either continue to be used as it is now, be required to have some modifications to its use or be banned from use entirely in the United States.

You Can Fight Back Against GM Foods

If you do not live in Hungary or another country that is operating the precautionary principle regarding GM foods, it doesn't mean you have to be a helpless guinea pig in this giant experiment. In fact, the time to take action against them is now, as there are signs that consumer advocates are making a difference and public disclosure and debate is urgently needed.

For instance, on May 20, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a summary order in favor of farmers and consumer advocates, requiring the USDA to prepare a rigorous environmental study of the impacts of GM sugar beets. Once that review is done, the Court will decide whether GM sugar beets may be grown for commercial use. The USDA has estimated it will complete the Environmental Impact Statement sometime in 2012.

Organic farmers and food advocates are also fighting back with a lawsuit aimed at preventing GM alfalfa from being unleashed.

I believe the sooner you get involved, the sooner we will persevere and eliminate these toxic threats in the United States and other parts of the world. We will require loads of education to be effective, however, as many are still completely clueless about GM foods and have no idea that they're eating them every day, and have been eating them for years!

If you're eating CAFO (confined animal feeding operation) meats and processed foods that are not 100% USDA organic, you're eating GMO's. It's that simple. The answer is to buy organic, and/or look for foods that are "non-GMO certified" by the Non-GMO Project. For your convenience, download this Non-GMO Shopping Guide, and share it with everyone you know.

Although GM foods still do not require labeling by law, the campaign for GMO labeling is making progress, thanks to the persistence of Jeffrey Smith and the Institute for Responsible Technology, an organization whose goal is to end the genetic engineering of our food supply and the outdoor release of GM crops. If you like, you can join the fight by signing the petition to President Obama in support of mandatory labeling of GM foods.

By educating the public about the risks of GM foods through a massive education campaign, and by circulating the Non-GMO Shopping Guide so consumers can make healthier non-GMO choices, the Institute's plan is to generate a tipping point of consumer rejection to make GMOs a thing of the past. To keep up with the latest actions and developments on this important issue, you can follow my Mercola.com GMO page, as well as our Non-GMOs page on Facebook.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/09/hunga...